Video 2: On Sports Technology

Consider a longer event. In 1954, Sir Roger Bannister became the first man to run under four minutes in the mile.

Nowadays, college kids do that every year.

On rare occasions, a high school kid does it.

As of the end of last year, 1,314 men had run under four minutes in the mile,

but like Jesse Owens, Sir Roger Bannister ran on soft cinders that stole far more energy from his legs than the synthetic tracks of today.

So I consulted biomechanics experts to find out how much slower it is to run on cinders than synthetic tracks,

and their consensus was that it's one and a half percent slower.

So if you apply a one and a half percent slowdown conversion to every man who ran his sub-four mile on a synthetic track, this is what happens.

Only 530 are left.

If you look at it from that perspective, fewer than ten new men per dacade have joined the sub-four mile club since Sir Roger Bannister.

Now, 530 is a lot more than one, and that's partly because there are many more people training today and they're training more intelligently.

Even college kids are professional in their training compared to Sir Roger Bannister, who trained for 45 minutes at a time while he ditched gynecology lectures in med school.

And that guy who won the 1904 Olympic marathon in three and a half hours, that guy was drinking rat poison and brandy while he ran along the course.

That was his idea of a performance-enhancing drug.

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According to Epstein what might be a reason for more people joining the sub-four mile club? There are more people training and they are training more intelligently.

How do runners today compare to Bannister? They have access to much better training methods than Bannister did.

How has the significance of Roger Bannister's accomplishment changed over time? Although he was the first to run a 4-minute mile, it is no longer rare.

What is the advantage did Bannister and Owens share? They both ran on soft cinders.

What is the biggest difference between cinder and synthetic tracks? Running on cinder tracks is more difficult.

Why is Roger Bannister significant in athletics? He was the first person to run a mile in less than 4 minutes.

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If a group reaches a consensus it means…everyone involved agrees with an opinion.

Synthetic products are…made from artificial materials.

To ditch something means…to get rid of it.

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Even college kids are professional in their training compared to Sir Roger Bannister, who trained for 45 minutes at a time while he ditched gynecology lectures in med school.

Clearly, athletes have gotten more savvy about performance-enhancing drugs as well,

and that's made a difference in some sports at some times, but technology has made a difference in all sports, from faster skis to lighter shoes.

Take a look at the record for the 100-meter freestyle swim.

The record is always trending downward, but it's punctuated by these steep cliffs.

This first cliff, in 1956, is the introduction of the flip turn.

Rather than stopping and turning around, athletes could somersault under the water and get going right away in the opposite direction.

This second cliff, the introduction of gutters on the side of the pool that allows water to splash off, rather than becoming turbulence that impedes the swimmers as they race.

This final cliff, the introduction of full-body and low-friction swimsuits.

Throughout sports, technology has changed the face of performance.

In 1972, Eddy Merckx set the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour at 30 miles, 3,774 feet.

Now that record improved and improved as bicycles improved and became more aerodynamic

all the way until 1996, when it was set at 35 miles, 1,531 feet, nearly five miles farther than Eddy Merckx cycled in 1972.

But then in 2000, the International Cycling Union decreed that anyone who wanted to hold that record had to do so with essentially the same equipment that Eddy Merckx used in 1972.

Where does the record stand today?

30 miles, 4,657 feet, a grand total of 883 feet farther than Eddy Merckx cycled more than four decades ago.

Essentially the entire improvement in this record was due to technology.

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What technological innovations have been made in professional swimming since the 1950s? The development of low friction swimsuits

Why has technology been more impactful in life of athlete than performance-enhancing drugs? Technology changes the entire dynamic of the sport, not just the athlete.

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According to Epstein…improvements in sports records are mainly due to better technology.

Epstein suggests swimmers have achieved faster times due to…technological advancements.

If the progress of something has been impeded, it has been…hindered.

To be savvy about something means…to know a lot and be able to make good judgments about it.

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Throughout sports, technology has changed the face of performance. In 1972, Eddy Merckx set the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour at 30 miles, 3,774 feet.

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1) Take a look at the record for the 100-meter freestyle swim.

2) The record is always trending downward, but it's punctuated by these steep cliffs.

3) This first cliff, in 1956, is the introduction of the flip turn.

4) Rather than stopping and turning around, athletes could somersault under the water and get going right away in the opposite direction.

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Essentially the entire improvement in this record was due to technology.

Throughout sports, technology has changed the face of performance.